Stopper-fastener for fruit-jars



(No Medel.)

J. H. FORREST. STOPPER PAST'ENER FOR FRUIT JARS.

No. 493,698. Patented Mar. 21, 1893;.

gmm wboz PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN H. FORREST, OF MARION, INDIANA.

STOPPER-FASTEN ER FOR FRUIT-JARS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 493,698, dated March 21, 1893.

Application filed August 1, 1892.

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN H. FORREST, a citizen of the United States, residing at Marion,

in the county of Grant and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Stopper-Fasteners for Fruit- Jars; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to stopper-fastenings for fruit-jars and other similar vessels or bottles for holding canned or preserved fruits, liquids, &c., and preventing access of air thereto.

One object of the invention is to provide a detachable fruit-jar top clamp or stopper-fastening which may be easily and quickly applied to a fruit-jar or similar vessel and readily removed therefrom, and which at the same time shall serve to effectually seal the top or cover against the admission of air.

A further object is to provide asimple, durable, efficient and inexpensive fastening device for the tops or covers of fruit-jars which may be manufactured and sold independently of the jars or vessels to which they are adapted to be attached, for general application and use.

The invention consists essentially of an improved spring clamp comprising a single metallic wire or rod bentso as to form a pair of cross-bars having transversely connected end portions formed into spring hooks which are adapted to fit over an exterior annular shoulder or terminal flange on the neck of the ves sel, and a cam-piece or eccentrically pivoted thumb-lever supported by one of the hooks and adapted to lock the clamp in position about the mouth of the vessel. I

In the accompanying drawings which form a part of this specification and in which similar letters of reference are used to denote similar parts in each of the several views Figure 1, represents a perspective view of a spring clamp embodying my invention; and Fig. 2, is a sectional side elevation illustrating my invention applied to a fruit jar.

Referring to the drawings by letters of reference A denotes a fruit jar which may be of Serial No. 441,817- (No model.) I

the ordinary or any preferred construction; its neck being formed with an exterior annular shoulder or terminal flange a, and provided with the usual removable top or cover B for closing the mouth thereof.

0, denotes a detachable spring clamp or fastening device for securing the cover B in position and holding it tightly about the :mouth ofrthe vessel so as to seal the same and prevent the admission of air; the rubber ring or gasket b, being interposed between the jar and the cover in the usual manner. The clamp C, may consist of a single piece of wire or rod of spring metal bent so as to form the crossbars 0, 0, having their end portions formed with hooks c, c, which are connected by the integral transverse bar 0 the latter being curved to correspond with the curvature of the neck of the jar against which it is adapted to hear when in proper position. To one of the transverse bars 0 is hinged or pivoted a cam-piece or thumb-lever D, the cam portion or short arm d, of which is adapted to engage the underside of the flange or shoulder a, so that when the clamp is fitted over the top of the jar with its ends hooked beneath the shoulder or flange a, the thumb-lever maybe thrown to the position indicated in Fig. 2, thereby locking the clamp about the mouth of the jar and binding the cover tightly against the rubber ring resting upon the rim of the neck so as to prevent access of air to the mouth of the jar.

The clamp may be applied by placing the curved hook-bar 0 at the end opposite the thumb-lever beneath the annular shoulder or rim of the jar-neck and springing the corresponding bar at the other end of the clamp under the shoulder or rim at the opposite side of the neck, and thereupon the thumb-lever may be pressed until its fulcrum end is thrown outward and its longer arminward to opposite sides of a line passing perpendicularly through the pivot of the lever, in which position it will be automatically locked and retained until thrown back in the opposite direction. By reason of the described construction the sides of the cover are drawn down tightly upon the rim of the mouth of the jar by the pull of the spring-hooks, while the central parts of the cross bars press upon the top of the cover on opposite sides of its center, thus securely binding the cover in place and sealing the joint between it and the rim of the jar.

I am aware of the fact that it has heretofore been proposed to provide a stopper-fastening consisting essentially of a piece of wire bent to form cross-bars which are hinged at one end to a neck-ring and have their opposite ends joined together and adapted to be sprung underan exterior annular shoulder upon the neck of the bottle and I make no claim to such construction. But

What I do claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, 1s-- 1. A detachable spring clamp for securing the covers or stoppers of fruit jars, 850., comprising a single piece of spring metal bent so as to form a pair of bars extending across the top of the cover and having hook-shaped ends connectedbyintegral transverse bars,together with a thumb-leverhinged to one of said transverse bars, whereby the clamp may be applied and locked so as to bind the cover firmly to its seat, substantially as described.

2. In combination with the jar having the exterior annular shoulder or terminal flange encircling the mouth thereof, the detachable cover, and the fastening deviceconsisting of a single piece of spring metal bent so as to form a pair of bars extending across the top of the cover and having hook-shaped ends connected by integral transverse bars, together with a thumb-lever hinged to one of said transverse bars, whereby the clamp may be applied and locked so as to bind the cover firmly to its seat, substantially as described.

3. The combination with the jar having the exterior annular shoulder encircling the mouth thereof, and the removable cover, of the fastening device consisting of a single rod or bar of spring metal formed with parallel c'r0ssbarswhose end portions merge into hooks which are joined'together by integral transversely arranged curved bars adapted to catch under said annular shoulder, and an eccentrically pivoted thumb-lever carried by one of said transverse bars, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN II. FORREST.

Witnesses:

THAD BUTLER, DANIEL F. BURGESS. 

